AMERICAN MAGAZINES: GUNS GOOD, BOOBS BAD

I took this photo in my local Publix grocery.

I would’ve taken more and clearer ones, but after just one click of my iPhone, a nice young assistant manager in a green vest told me, “We don’t allow pictures in the store, sir.”

Of course, when I asked him why, he just smiled and said, “It’s policy.” I’ve noticed whenever you ask middle managers about policies, they have no clue why those policies exist. They’re not told, or they don’t ask, or both.

Yet it’s mildly transparent, which sends a confusing message about the store’s modesty. It also makes the cover seem worse than it really is: Model Kate Upton reveals only cleavage, no nipples.

If the idea is to protect our children’s fragile psyches, I’d prefer they dream of fondling breasts over barrels. Safer and quieter for everyone.

I also realize I’ve squandered my journalism career.

I’ve edited for national media outlets that cover music, celebrities, personal finance, and extreme sports. But I need to get into gun journalism. At least at my local supermarket, there are more magazines about that than any other topic.

7Comments

You could have added — the most prominent handgun magazine above touts a ‘2013 BUYER’S GUIDE’ while the SI touts a sexy woman with cleavage in bikini bottoms. The latter may still worry a parent like me should my 9-year-old son get an eyeful, but it is not a 2013 guide to buying a sexual liaison with Kate Upton.

What you got against guns? I’m not defending the covering up of the SI cover because you can see more skin on the beach and cable TV. But you seem to be taking a really cheap shot at something that is totally legal and important for selfdefense. Clear it up now. Are you for repealing the 2nd Amenment?